What's Next: Plays in Progress

Here’s your chance to check out what might just be Geva’s next big hit…. Plays are chosen from a national pool sent by agents, directors and writers, given a single day of rehearsal, and presented in an informal script-in-hand performance. Each performance is followed by a conversation with the playwright. These play readings are often our first opportunity to establish a new relationship with a playwright, or to support the work of writers we know and respect.

What's Next: Festival of New Theatre

Take the Plays in Progress series and make it … bigger! Three plays (and sometimes musicals) by nationally recognized writers are selected and developed in workshops ranging from four days to two weeks, presented in script-in-hand performances, followed by conversations with the writer. These workshops give us the chance to work with writers in greater depth than the Plays in Progress reading series allows. Many of the works developed here have subsequently gone on to world premiere productions at Geva and at other theatres around the country. A new component was added to the Festival in 2009: one play each from our Regional and Young Writers Showcases, which we thought was worthy of greater investment, was selected to receive further rehearsal and another public performance.

What's Next: Commissions

In addition to selecting scripts from the hundreds of submissions by agents and artists, we also commission writers to create something specifically for you, our audience. By commissioning a playwright, we invest in that writer – hoping that he/she will come to view Geva as an artistic home that will support his/her ongoing growth. It is our goal that the writers in whom we invest at early stages of their careers, will grow to become the leading voices of the American theatre – and that their loyalty to Geva will keep them coming back to us as they continue to write new plays. Since Mark Cuddy’s arrival, Geva has offered 17 commissions to 15 writers and composers. Read more about Our Projects.

What's Next: Customized Development & Artistic Partnerships

Sometimes a work that Geva plans to produce requires development outside of the parameters of our regular programming. For these pieces, we will design a developmental process geared to the specific needs of the play. Some past projects have been done in collaboration with other organizations, including The Lark in NYC, the Playwrights Center in Minneapolis and Arena Stage in Washington, DC.

What's Next: Regional Writers Showcase

Plays by Rochester area writers, selected in cooperation with Writers & Books, are presented in a reading format on two Monday nights in the spring. Each play is followed by a discussion with the playwright. This year’s Regional Showcase takes place April 12 and 26, 2010. One work from this Showcase will be selected to receive further rehearsal and development in the Fall 2010 Festival of New Theatre. Since the launching of this program 15 years ago, other area theatres have followed our lead and created their own Rochester writers workshops and showcases.

What's Next: 2 Pages/2 Voices

Produced in collaboration with Writers & Books, writers are invited to submit plays limited to two pages and two characters. Selected works are rehearsed by professional actors and directors and presented in script-in-hand readings.

What's Next: Young Writers Showcase

Selected from an open submission pool of Rochester area students, the Young Writers Showcase features short plays by writers aged 13-18. This event provides a rare opportunity for young writers to have their works performed by professional actors and a glimpse into the process of moving a play from page to stage. One work from this year’s Showcase will be selected to receive further rehearsal and development in the Fall 2010 Festival of New Theatre.

2009-10 Calendar of What's Next Events
Learn more about our Submission Guidelines

Acknowledgements

Geva’s new works programming has received financial support from local, regional and national funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, AT&T, The Flanders Group, the Mary Mulligan Charitable Trust, the Dramatists Guild Fund, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and Mr. Eric Zeller.

You can Support What's Next, too!

“It was my great pleasure to have my play Splitting Infinity workshopped and premiered by Geva Theatre Center. From every perspective it was a tremendous advantage to have their extraordinary commitment to new work, their drive to make the play the very best it could be, and their exceptionally creative minds applied to the work, which is a particularly intricate and complicated one. Their energy, spirit, sensitivity, grace and intelligence across the board made it one of the most painless and fulfilling experiences I've had as a playwright.”

“I would be honored and thrilled to work with them again, any time.”

Jamie Pachino (Splitting Infinity, developed at Geva, premiere production in the Mainstage)